Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080271628 | Imprint lithography - An imprint lithography apparatus includes an imprint template operably connected to an imprint actuator. The imprint actuator is actuatable to displace the template along an imprint axis to bring the template into contact with an imprintable medium. The template is connected to the actuator via a bearing configured to permit substantially unrestricted displacement of the actuator relative to the template along an axis substantially perpendicular to the imprint axis during release of the template from the imprintable medium. | 11-06-2008 |
20090047606 | Lithography meandering order - An imprint lithography method is disclosed, which includes imprinting a plurality of patterns in an imprintable medium provided on a substrate, wherein the order in which the patterns are imprinted in the imprintable medium is such that, for the majority of the patterns, two consecutively imprinted patterns are not imprinted adjacent to one another. | 02-19-2009 |
20090057267 | Imprint lithography - A chuck apparatus for holding a substrate is the disclosed. The chuck apparatus includes a first surface portion on which the substrate is to be held and a second surface portion adjacent to the first surface portion and extending at least partially around an edge of the first surface portion and which, in use, is arranged to deflect gas over the first surface portion and thus the substrate that is to be held on the first surface portion. | 03-05-2009 |
20090108484 | Imprint lithography - An imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed that includes a support structure configured to hold an imprint template. The apparatus further includes an actuator located between the support structure and a side of the imprint template, when the imprint template is held by the support structure, configured to apply a force to the imprint template and a force sensor between the support structure and a side of the imprint template, when the imprint template is held by the support structure. | 04-30-2009 |
20090146347 | Imprint lithography - An imprint template cover for an imprint template having a pattern feature thereon. The cover is configured such that, in use, it extends around the pattern feature of the imprint template, and such that the cover does not contact the pattern feature. | 06-11-2009 |
20090212462 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - An imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed that has a first array of template holders, a second array of template holders, and a substrate table arranged to support a substrate to be imprinted, wherein the first array of template holders is arranged to hold an array of imprint templates that can be used to imprint a first array of patterns onto the substrate, and the second array of template holders is arranged hold an array of imprint templates that can be used to imprint a second array of patterns onto the substrate, the patterns imprinted by the second array being interspersed between the patterns imprinted by the first array. | 08-27-2009 |
20100044917 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - An imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed that has a first support structure arranged to support an imprint template, and a first actuator attached to the first support structure, and arranged in use to be located between the first support structure and the imprint template. The first actuator is configured to apply a force to the imprint template. The imprint lithography apparatus further includes a second support structure and a second actuator located between the second support structure and the first support structure. The second actuator is configured to apply a force to the second support structure, wherein a range of movement of the second actuator is greater than a range of movement of the first actuator. | 02-25-2010 |
20100084565 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - An imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed that has a template holder configured to hold an imprint template, a substrate table, and an optical encoder, the optical encoder having a radiation output, a first diffraction grating, and a detector, the radiation output arranged to illuminate a second diffraction grating and the detector positioned to detect radiation diffracted by the first and second diffraction gratings to provide an alignment signal. | 04-08-2010 |
20100096774 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY APPARATUS AND METHOD - An imprint lithography apparatus and manufacturing method can lead to mechanical stress being formed in a substrate to which an imprint pattern is being applied. This may cause strain within the substrate leading to misalignment of a subsequent pattern with an earlier pattern in a part of the substrate, which is strained. An apparatus and method is disclosed which allows for stress relaxation in the substrate prior to further patterning to reduce, minimize or prevent such misalignment from residual strain. This is achieved by locally unclamping a portion of substrate (including optionally the entire substrate) from a corresponding portion of substrate holder so that mechanical stress leading to local strain may relax prior to further patterning. To overcome residual frictional force between the substrate and substrate holder, the substrate and substrate holder may be physically separated prior to further patterning. | 04-22-2010 |
20100193994 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY METHOD AND APPARATUS - An imprint lithography method is provided. The method includes undertaking first and second imprints, which comprises for each imprint: for an area of a substrate provided with a plurality of drops of imprintable medium in respectively first and second configurations, imprinting a pattern in the imprintable medium using a same imprint template, pockets being formed between the drops of the imprintable medium, the imprint template and the substrate during the imprinting of the pattern, wherein the first configuration of drops of imprintable medium is different from the second configuration of drops of imprintable medium, such that pockets formed during the second imprint are formed at different locations relative to the imprint template to pockets formed during the first imprint. | 08-05-2010 |
20100297282 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY APPARATUS - An arrangement suitable for use in an imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed. The arrangement includes a support structure arranged to support an imprint template arrangement, a first actuator configured to apply a force to the imprint template arrangement, and a second actuator attached to the support structure, and arranged in use to extend between the support structure and the imprint template arrangement, the second actuator configured to apply a force to the imprint template arrangement, a range of movement of the second actuator being greater than a range of movement of the first actuator. | 11-25-2010 |
20110001254 | Imprint Lithography Apparatus and Method - An imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed that includes an imprint template holder arranged to hold an imprint template, and a plurality of position sensors configured to measure change of the size and/or shape of the imprint template, wherein the position sensors are mechanically isolated from the imprint template. Also disclosed is a lithography method that includes using an imprint template to imprint a pattern onto a substrate, and measuring changes of the size and/or shape of the imprint template while imprinting the pattern onto the substrate. | 01-06-2011 |
20110003023 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY APPARATUS - An imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes an electromagnetic Lorentz actuator arrangement configured to move an imprint template arrangement, the electromagnetic Lorentz actuator arrangement comprising: an array of magnets; and an array of conductors, each conductor configured to carry an electric current, one of the array of magnets or the array of conductors being moveable and connected to the imprint template arrangement, and the other of the array of magnets or the array of conductors extending at least partially around or forming a part of a substrate holder; the array of magnets and the array of conductors together being in a configuration which facilitates moving of the moveable one of the array of magnets or the array of conductors in six degrees of freedom, such that the imprint template arrangement is also movable in six degrees of freedom. | 01-06-2011 |
20110008483 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY APPARATUS - An imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed that includes a structure located away from a substrate holder and extending across the substrate holder, and such that an imprint template arrangement is, in use, located between the structure and the substrate holder, wherein the structure has one or more arrays of lines or one or more encoders, and the substrate or substrate holder and the imprint template have a corresponding one or more encoders that face towards one or more of the one or more arrays of lines or one or more arrays of lines that face towards one or more of the one or more encoders, and the configuration determination arrangement is configured to determine a relative configuration between the substrate or substrate holder and the structure, and/or a relative configuration between the imprint template arrangement and the structure, and/or a relative configuration between the imprint template arrangement and the substrate or substrate holder. | 01-13-2011 |
20110018168 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY TEMPLATE - An imprint lithography template is disclosed. In an embodiment, the template includes a patterned region to imprint a layer of imprintable medium, and an alignment mark for use in aligning the imprint template, the alignment mark configured such that imprintable medium is prevented from filling the alignment mark when the imprint template imprints the imprintable medium. | 01-27-2011 |
20110049097 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY METHOD AND APPARATUS - In an embodiment, there is provided an imprint lithography method that includes providing a first amount of imprintable medium on a first area of a substrate, the first amount of imprintable medium, when fixed, having a first etch rate; and providing a second amount of imprintable medium on a second, different area of the substrate, the second amount of imprintable medium, when fixed, having a second, different etch rate. | 03-03-2011 |
20110076352 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - A method of determining an offset between an imprint template and a substrate using an alignment grating on the imprint template and an alignment grating on the substrate is disclosed. The method includes bringing the imprint template alignment grating and the substrate alignment grating sufficiently close together such that they form a composite grating, directing an alignment radiation beam at the composite grating while modulating the relative position of the imprint template and the substrate, detecting the intensity of alignment radiation which is reflected from the composite grating, and determining the offset by analyzing modulation of the detected intensity. | 03-31-2011 |
20110079939 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY APPARATUS AND METHOD - An imprint lithography method is disclosed for forming a patterned layer from an imprintable liquid medium on a substrate by means of an imprint template having a patterned surface. The method involves contacting the patterned surface and imprintable liquid medium together for a filling period. Light emergent (e.g., scattered or reflected) from an interface between the medium and the patterned surface is collected and measured during the filling period to obtain data concerning one or more voids at the interface, and an estimated end time for the filling period is derived from a relationship between the data and time. The method may allow subsequent process steps to be undertaken more rapidly, with reduced risk of defects arising from remnants of unfilled voids. An imprint lithography apparatus and component for putting the method into effect are also disclosed. | 04-07-2011 |
20110095455 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - An imprint lithography template is provided with an alignment mark, wherein the alignment mark is formed from dielectric material having a refractive index which differs from the refractive index of the imprint lithography template, the dielectric material having a thickness which is such that it provides a phase difference between alignment radiation which has passed through the dielectric material and alignment radiation which has not passed through the dielectric material. | 04-28-2011 |
20110226735 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - An imprint lithography method is disclosed that includes, after imprinting an imprint lithography template into a layer of imprintable medium to form a pattern in that imprintable medium and fixing that pattern to form a patterned layer of imprintable medium, adding etch resistant material (i.e. a hard mask) to a part of the patterned layer of imprintable medium to reduce a difference between an intended topography and an actual topography of that part of the patterned layer of imprintable medium. | 09-22-2011 |
20110266255 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - A method of making an imprint template includes providing a transfer layer on a substrate and providing a layer of imprintable medium on the transfer layer, using a master imprint template to imprint a pattern into the imprintable medium, polymerizing the imprintable medium by exposing it to actinic radiation, then etching the resulting polymer layer, the transfer layer and the substrate such that the imprinted pattern is transferred to the substrate, the substrate thereby becoming an imprint template bearing a pattern which is the inverse of a pattern provided on the master imprint template. | 11-03-2011 |
20110268869 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - An imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus has a substrate table configured to support a lithographic substrate and a plurality of nozzles arranged to eject fluid onto the lithographic substrate, the plurality of nozzles extending over a distance which is substantially equal to or greater than a width of the substrate, wherein the nozzles, the lithographic substrate, or both, are moveable relative to the other. | 11-03-2011 |
20120012611 | IMPRINTABLE MEDIUM DISPENSER - An imprintable medium dispenser includes a chamber, a nozzle, and an actuator connected to the chamber and configured to be actuated and thereby generate a pressure wave within the chamber such that imprintable medium is dispensed from the nozzle. The imprintable medium dispenser is provided with a control circuit which includes a monitoring apparatus configured to receive a transient oscillation signal generated when the actuator is actuated, and to monitor the operation of the imprintable medium dispenser by monitoring the transient oscillation signal. | 01-19-2012 |
20120091629 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - An imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed that has a first array of template holders, a second array of template holders, and a substrate table arranged to support a substrate to be imprinted, wherein the first array of template holders is arranged to hold an array of imprint templates that can be used to imprint a first array of patterns onto the substrate, and the second array of template holders is arranged hold an array of imprint templates that can be used to imprint a second array of patterns onto the substrate, the patterns imprinted by the second array being interspersed between the patterns imprinted by the first array. | 04-19-2012 |
20120153538 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - A chuck apparatus for holding a substrate is the disclosed. The chuck apparatus includes a first surface portion on which the substrate is to be held and a second surface portion adjacent to the first surface portion and extending at least partially around an edge of the first surface portion and which, in use, is arranged to deflect gas over the first surface portion and thus the substrate that is to be held on the first surface portion. | 06-21-2012 |
20120225152 | ALIGNMENT AND IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - An imprint lithography alignment apparatus is disclosed that includes at least two detectors which are configured to detect an imprint template alignment mark, wherein the alignment apparatus further comprises alignment radiation adjustment optics which are configured to provide adjustment of locations from which the at least two alignment detectors receive alignment radiation. | 09-06-2012 |
20120244319 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - An object provided with a particular alignment arrangement for use in aligning the object and a further object with respect to each other is disclosed. The alignment arrangement includes a first fine alignment mark in the form of a substantially regular grating, and a second coarse alignment mark located in the same area as the first alignment mark. | 09-27-2012 |
20120313295 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - A method of determining a position of an imprint template in an imprint lithography apparatus. In an embodiment, the method includes illuminating an area of the imprint template in which an alignment mark is expected to be found by scanning an alignment radiation beam over that area, detecting an intensity of radiation reflected or transmitted from the area, and identifying the alignment mark via analysis of the detected intensity. | 12-13-2012 |
20130160230 | VACUUM CLEANING DEVICE, COMPRISING A UNIT WITH A MOVABLE SURFACE FOR GENERATING AN OSCILLATING AIRFLOW - A vacuum cleaning device comprises a unit ( | 06-27-2013 |
20130182236 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - An imprint lithography apparatus having a first frame to be mounted on a floor, a second frame mounted on the first frame via a kinematic coupling, an alignment sensor mounted on the second frame, to align an imprint lithography template arrangement with a target portion of a substrate, and a position sensor to measure a position of the imprint lithography template arrangement and/or a substrate stage relative to the second frame. | 07-18-2013 |
20140124971 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - An imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed that includes a support structure configured to hold an imprint template. The apparatus further includes an actuator located between the support structure and a side of the imprint template, when the imprint template is held by the support structure, configured to apply a force to the imprint template and a force sensor between the support structure and a side of the imprint template, when the imprint template is held by the support structure. | 05-08-2014 |
20140199485 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - A method of depositing an imprintable medium onto a target area of a substrate for imprint lithography is disclosed. The method includes moving the substrate, a print head comprising a nozzle to eject an imprintable medium onto the substrate, or both, relative to the other in a first direction across the target area while ejecting a first series of droplets of imprintable medium onto the substrate and moving the substrate, the print head; or both, relative to the other in a second opposing direction across the target area while ejecting a second series of droplets of imprintable medium onto the substrate on or adjacent to droplets from the first series of droplets. | 07-17-2014 |
20140291879 | IMPRINT LITHOGRAPHY - An imprint lithography apparatus is disclosed that has a first array of template holders, a second array of template holders, and a substrate table arranged to support a substrate to be imprinted, wherein the first array of template holders is arranged to hold an array of imprint templates that can be used to imprint a first array of patterns onto the substrate, and the second array of template holders is arranged hold an array of imprint templates that can be used to imprint a second array of patterns onto the substrate, the patterns imprinted by the second array being interspersed between the patterns imprinted by the first array. | 10-02-2014 |